US must add new pressure on N. Korea

editorial@tribtoday.com

New long-range missiles are being built in North Korea, despite assurances by that country’s dictator, Kim Jong Un, that he desires peaceful co-existence, it was reported last week.

Just weeks ago, Kim told President Donald Trump he is willing to pursue disarmament talks. They have been going on since then, though little or no agreement has been reached.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to sound optimistic about the prospect for “denuclearization” of North Korea.

Is Kim taking that as a sign a campaign of deception, like North Korean leaders have used so frequently, is working? Is Kim using the talks merely to gain time to build new rockets and new nuclear devices?

Perhaps, perhaps not. Kim may have let information about the new missiles slip out solely to gain an advantage at the bargaining table.

But if he indeed has no intention of keeping his promises, Trump should resume putting economic and diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang.

As the president himself has pointed out, a bad deal is worse than no deal at all.